Patrick Mahomes’ loss in Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles dropped him to 3-2 in Super Bowls since he took the reins as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.
On Sunday, Mahomes had one of the worst games he has ever had. The Eagles’ defense overpowered the Chiefs’ offensive line and rattled Mahomes early and often. He was sacked six times, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. His QB rating was 11.4 for the game.
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The game was on par with his performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. He was sacked three times and threw two interceptions, finishing with a QB rating of 42.2.
NFL pundits began to question Mahomes’ legacy in the immediate aftermath of the game. While there were comparisons to Tom Brady going into the game in which some believed Mahomes would be in his stratosphere with a third consecutive title, the loss – for some – diminished his standing so badly that the gap between both is almost insurmountable.
Former Chiefs offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz had none of that. He defended Mahomes in social media posts on Tuesday.
“Someone is going to have to explain to me how a 29 year old’s legacy is tarnished because after the best 7 year start to a career and getting closer than anyone in history to winning 3 straight Super Bowls, one bad game from basically the entire team diminishes that legacy??” he wrote on X.
“Tiger missed cuts in majors even at the height of his powers. Brady had a 16-0 team and lost to a 10-6 team. Missed the playoffs his 2nd year starting. Lost multiple playoff games to teams who threw for less than 100 yards but that doesn’t matter b/c it wasn’t in the Super Bowl?
“The dynamic has gotten very weird where you have to not only win #Ringz but you also get docked this bad for a Super Bowl loss when you’re doing unprecedented things before the age of 30. Brady is the most accomplished QB ever, it’s going to take years to compare their résumés.”
As Brady lost to the New York Giants in 2007, Schwartz pointed out, pundits did not jump on his legacy and question his resume. He lamented the “reactionary” state of the media.
“It feels like we’re trying to blend MJ and Brady and hold Pat to that standard. No one is repeating 6-0,” he wrote. “Brady didn’t do it. No one else will, especially in football. Football is too interconnected, 1 game is too small. Jordan had 7 games to make sure his team won. Too different.”
Schwartz asked talking heads to “pump the brakes” on comparison and legacy talk.
Mahomes has plenty of time to catch Brady – if that is the goal. Brady was 32 years old when he reached his fifth Super Bowl and fell to 3-2 when his Patriots lost to the Giants for a second time.
Brady went 10 years without winning another one. The Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX thanks to an interception from Malcolm Butler at the very end of the game.
Mahomes vowed to recover and bring the Chiefs back to glory.
“I let y’all down today. I’ll always continue to work and try and learn and be better for it,” he wrote on X. “Want to give thanks to God for every opportunity he has given me.
“We will be back.”
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